PITTSBURGH -- For many of us, it's tough enough to pay the bills, let alone putting as much as we want into savings. But there is a way to get what you want with the money you already have.

Consumer reporter Becky Thompson revealed how making adjustments here and there can add up to a whopping $3,000 in savings a year.

Those savings equal four nights in the Bahamas, a week in Mexico, or that giant theater-size television set you've been dreaming of -- there's a lot you can do with $3,000.

Start making those plans after you follow these steps and get more frugal with your finances.

Workers at Gemini Automotive in Monroeville are thrifty.

Employee Jonathon Frueh saves $120 a month, more than $1,400 a year, packing his own lunch every day.

Frueh said, "I save about $6 a day by doing it.

Mechanic Cassie Smith keeps $30 more in her pocket each month.

Smith said, "I bring my own coffee. I make my own coffee at home instead of stopping at 7-Eleven or a gas station."

That's an annual savings of $360.

But coworker Stefan Bowers takes the cake in thriftiness. He owns a used car bought and paid for with savings.

With the average new vehicle owner paying more than $400 a month you'll save a whopping $4,800 a year by making your family's second car an inexpensive used one.

Regularly tuning and checking the filters on any vehicle will save $.40 per gallon. That's $150 a year for a household with two drivers.

Remember whenever you use a credit card to use one that gives you money back.

If you haven't checked insurance rates in a while, it's time to shop around, whether it's for car, home or life insurance.

You can save 10 percent off heating costs each year by turning down the thermostat 10 percent for at least eight hours a day. That could put an extra $150 in your pocket every year.

Then take advantage of medical flexible savings accounts offered through your employer. A family that pays $1,000 a year in out of pocket medical expenses can save $200 in taxes a year.

Finally, one tip that thrifty shoppers have been touting for years -- coupons. Colleen Mack and her family use them. Their weekly savings are anywhere from $5 to $10 and if you go into a place that doubles them, it's even more. That's $520 a year in savings.

Staying away from the vending machine just two days a week and bringing in your own pop will save you another $100 every year.

To save even more keep in check all that spending you do with change every day.

E-Mail your money savings suggestions to Channel 11.